The Paths We Take
by Twilighter123
Summary: As kids, Bella and Emmett were abused by Charlie. He was arrested and sent to jail, but the kids were separated through foster care. Years later, Bella's on her way to a new home. Who will she meet there? My first fan fic so please be nice!
1. Chapter 1

_Flashback_

_The little girl crouched, huddled in her big brother's arms._

_"Emmy, what's going on? It's not the same this time, is it." She made it a statement rather than a question. For such a young girl, she was wise beyond her age. _

_Emmett shook his head. "No Bells. I don't think it is."_

_"What's gonna happen to us Emmy?"_

_"I don't know. But promise me something. No matter what happens, always remember that I love you Bells. Always and forever." He said gently._

_"That's a silly promise. Of course I'll remember that. You tell me all the time!" she said with a grin. _

_The grin soon fell off her face, as they both heard their father stomping, angry and drunk once again, up the stairs. As he bellowed for them, they immediately raced out of the room and stood in front of him. As tough as she wanted to look for Emmy, Bella was trembling. They both knew what happened when Daddy was like this. _

_This time, Emmett took most of the hits. He normally did. He would do anything to help Bella, and he'd never let her get hurt if he could help it. _

_But sometimes, it wasn't up to him. And those were the times that worried him the most. Because he never knew what his father would do to Bella when he was in one of his drunken rages. He knew that Charlie wouldn't go easier on her just because she was little. And laying in bed that night, thinking about it, he came to the conclusion that he needed to end this as soon as he could. He didn't want Bella to have to grow up like this. _

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_The years passed, and Emmett's feelings grew stronger. Each day that passed, he knew he was coming closer to making a decision. Then, something happened that made up his mind for good._

_Bella was seven. Emmett was ten. Charlie claimed that he needed someone home to help him take care of the house, and home schooled Bella. One day, Emmett came home from school and went to find Bella, to make sure she was okay, as he did every day. She was usually in the kitchen cleaning, or in the laundry room. But he couldn't find her anywhere downstairs, and Charlie was nowhere in sight. Emmett began to worry, and quickly climbed the stairs to the small bedroom he shared with Bella. It was there that he found her. But his sense of relief quickly turned to one of horror. He found Bella, unconscious, on the floor. She was badly bruised, and her lip was split open. Of course, he knew who had done this. He quickly woke Bella up ,and cared to her wounds. That night, he decided. He was going to save Bella, and he was going to do it now. No more waiting._

_The next day in school, he took the biggest leap of faith he would ever take. He went up to his favorite teacher. He asked if he could talk to her after class. And she said yes. He spilled out the whole story, and as hard as he tried not to, by the end he was in tears. Mrs. Johnson gave him a big hug. _

_"Everything will be alright Emmett. I promise. You made the right decision coming to talk to me. I'm proud of you."_

_Emmett went home, and he explained to Bella carefully what he had done. e told her what this would mean for them, and the sad possibilities of what could happen. He was smart enough to know that there was a chance they'd be separated, but he hoped it wouldn't happen. They went to bed, each wondering how this would work out. They both had learned through careful research, when Charlie wasn't home, that even once they found you a foster home, there was no guarantee it would be better than the home they were coming from. And they both hoped fervently that this would not be the case for their sibling._

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_The next morning, they were surprised to hear the doorbell ring. Emmett hadn't even left for school yet, and they were both worried that the doorbell would wake Charlie and they would get punished for it later. When the two of them looked out, they saw a policeman and a woman in a business suit on the porch. Glancing at each other in confusion, they opened the door._

_"Good morning. Is this the Swan residence?"the woman asked kindly._

_"Y-yes. Who are you?" Emmett replied._

_"I'm Angela. I'm here from the Arizona Children's Welfare Department. Are you Emmett and Bella?"_

_The two children nodded. As they did, the woman noticed the bruises on Bella's face._

_"Where did you get those bruises sweetie? They look like they hurt."_

_Bella glanced at Emmett nervously. "I-I fell. I'm very clumsy, right Emmett?"_

_Emmett grinned and nodded. _

_The woman said, "It's okay. Your brother already told us about everything, remember? Is your father home, Emmett?"_

_This time, Emmett hesitated before he nodded. The woman noticed this hesitation. _

_"It's alright. We've come to help you. We know what your father does, and we've come to take him away. He won't ever hurt you again."_

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_The policeman had come and dragged their father, kicking and screaming, out of the house. The woman had stood by, watching the children's faces. She decided it was time to go._

_"Alright kids. We're going to be leaving in a few minutes. Take your time, and go inside and pack up anything you want to take. You probably won't ever be coming back here, so make sure you get everything."_

_Emmett and Bella slowly walked inside. Now that it was actually happening, they could hardly believe it. They were finally leaving, and their father was no longer going to be able to hurt them. The policeman had made sure to take enough statements and evidence that they didn't have to go to court and testify against Charlie. As happy as they were, they couldn't help but be afraid. Now that this step of the process was done, their thoughts moved on to what would happen to them now._

_They knew that there was no guarantee they would be together for very long, even if they did start out in the same orphanage. They knew they would try everything to stay together, because in this scary new world the only things they had were each other. _

_Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, some things just can't be avoided._

**A/N**: I'll try to make this short and to the point: if you read the author's note, then you know it's my first fan fic. Because of this no flames please!!! Criticism is welcome though, so if you didn't like the way something was written go ahead and tell me. Also, I know there are other stories like this one. In fact, one of them is one of my favorite stories, although it's not where I got this idea. Anyways, thanks for reading and please review so I know whether or not to continue!!!!

Twilighter123


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for being so patient!!! There's a couple more things I wanted to say about this story, so please read the author's note at the end.

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Ten. Years. It had been ten long, lonely years without my Emmy.

I could still remember when he promised me everything was going to be okay. Could still picture his face when we walked to the park and played all day. But I could also remember the reason we took so long coming back. How scared we always were when our father came home with a drunken smile on his face, and the bellowing voice that he called us with.

Deep down, I knew it wasn't Emmett's fault that we'd been separated. After all, I could remember sneaking out of my room in the orphanage and listening to him argue with the owner. She was in charge of approving all adoptions, and Emmett was convinced that there had to be a rule against separating siblings. As if we'd ever been that lucky.

_Flashback_

_I stood hidden around the corner from the main office, where I could hear Emmett and Miss Alanna having a whispered conversation. From what I could gather, they were talking about me. I knew Emmett was worried that things weren't going the way he'd planned. He had hoped that once we got here, someone would be willing to adopt both of us, and we'd still stay together forever. _

_That's not how things seemed to be going though. Yesterday, a man and a woman had come looking for a son. They said they already had one who was a little misbehaved, and they couldn't have any more children. By adopting another son and giving their son a companion, they hoped his behavioral problem could be solved. (_**A/N: This is not Esme and Carlisle, they're not here quite yet).**

_I didn't like that at all. My Emmy was much more than a solution to a problem, and they should treat him that way. He was the solution to all my problems, no matter what. He always knew what to say, and it was one of the reasons I loved him so much. Anyway, Emmy didn't wanna leave. I could still hear him talking to Miss Alanna._

_"But I just CAN'T leave. Don't you understand?!" I could hear the anguish in Emmett's voice as he repeated his argument._

_"I do understand Emmett. I know you don't want to leave your sister. But there's really nothing I can do about this. There's no legitimate reason for me to deny their request, and I could get into serious trouble if I showed favoritism towards the children here. Not to mention it wouldn't be here. You know as well as I do that the same thing has happened to lots of other children. I know you don't want to leave, but eventually you'll get used to your new family."_

_"But that's my POINT!!! I won't. I'll never get used to life without Bella. She's my little sister!!" Emmett cried. _

_"I know Emmett. But you'll have a big brother now. Won't that be fun?" I could tell Miss Alanna was getting frustrated. I'd heard her use these arguments on countless other children, and they always gave in by now. _

_I was proud of my Emmy. He wouldn't stop fighting for me. I knew he really loved me, just like he said he did. But I was sad too. I had a sinking feeling, the longer the argument went on, that Miss Alanna wasn't going to give in to Emmett. However, Emmett wasn't done. _

_"I GET that. And my new brother might be a great kid. But he's not Bella. Can't you convince them to adopt both of us?"_

_"I'm sorry Emmett. There's really nothing I can do. I tried, and they said they're not looking for a girl, and they're only looking to adopt one child. I'm truly, truly sorry Emmett. But I'm not changing my mind. I'm approving the adoption first thing tomorrow morning. You'll probably be leaving sometime next week, after your new room is ready and the family is ready for you to move in. Stay close to Bella. Spend as much time as you can with her before you have to leave. And look on the bright side. Maybe your new family will let you come visit Bella after you leave!!"_

End Flashback

That's not the way it worked out. No matter how positive Miss Alanna had been, Emmett's family had been too insecure to allow him to pine after an old family he wasn't ever getting back. They were scared to death that he would find a way to get back to the orphanage, and his presence was working wonders on their other son. Of course, I didn't find out about this until I was nine and Emmett's social worker deemed me responsible enough to know the information, and tame enough not to try to use it to get him back.

I thought about it. I truly did. But somehow, I had convinced myself that if he really wanted to come back, he'd have found a way. I decided that maybe he would like to see me again, but he didn't love me like he used to. From the day he left, I despised his new brother. He got to have my Emmy, and I knew he didn't know the half of how lucky he was.

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Nine was an important age for me. It had been two years since I'd been at the orphanage, and only a few months less since Emmett had been adopted and since I'd last seen him. On that day, I think he was too upset to really have a conversation with me. I could vaguely remember that after he'd come out of Miss Alanna's office that night, (**sorry, didn't think you'd want another flashback when the other one just ended...)** I'd asked him if he was leaving me.

With a sad smile, he'd told me he was. But he was quick to tell me that he'd never ever leave if it was up to him, and he tried to convince his new parents and Miss Alanna to adopt both of us but no one had listened. He told me he felt horrible, because he'd promised everything would be okay, and we both knew it wasn't going to be. He promised he'd come visit me as often as he could, but if he'd known his new family wouldn't let him he never would have made that promise to me either.

He believed he'd easily convince them to let him come visit his sister. So did I, for that matter. It's one of the reasons that I sometimes doubt how much Emmett really missed me for those two years. How hard could it be for him to get his parents to let him come visit his real family every once in a while? Maybe he really didn't mind so much anymore. Maybe, he'd gotten used to the way his new family worked and he didn't even try to ask anymore, because it wasn't a big enough problem to get into an argument over.

Of course, after I turned nine, these problems weren't my biggest anymore. Because that same year, a couple who were looking for a young girl came to the orphanage. Miss Alanna approved their request, and I was adopted three months after my ninth birthday.

That was the year my whole world turned upside down.

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**A/N: Okay so, just wanted to say a few things I forgot last time. **

**This should probably be in my summary, but they're here instead.**

**This story is AU and all human. There may be some OOC, but I think I'll try to mostly stick to the story line. Charlie, for example, is obviously OOC.**

**Also for the record, I don't hate Charlie. And I wish he didn't have to be the bad guy, but it just kinda worked out like that. **

**I'm not all that creative, so until I come up with something better:**

**I don't own anything from Twilight, including characters. Even though I really, really wish I did. **

**Thank you for adding me to story alerts and favorites and all that jazz. Reviews are nice too!! Thanks to those who did review, and even those who didn't. Only a couple lines. Tell me whether you like it or not, and if there's something you don't like, tell me. Not promising I'll listen, but I'll definitely take it into consideration. And unless you're really really mean I won't be offended. **

**Expect gaps like this in between chapters, because I have a limited time on the computer each day and I want to read fan fics too. Thank you for reading and please stick around!!!!!!**

**Also, I tried to PM those of you who already added me to something or reviewed. I got all the reviewers I think, but thanks to those I didn't get a chance to PM. I'll try to do it later!!!**

**I'm trying to set up the story line, so there may be quite a few flashbacks in these first couple chapters. **

**Twilighter123**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING!!!! Blame it all on my mom. If I didn't have a time limit, I would update so much faster....nah. Probably not. But still faster than this!! Anyway, really sorry. I'd love to tell you it won't happen again, but there's a good chance that it will, and I don't want to get anyone's hopes up....

This is the part where Bella is getting adopted, sorry if the timeline doesn't fit with the last chapter.

Speaking of getting hopes up, mine have gone way down. I've just realized that there's no chance in h-e-double hockey sticks that I'll ever own Twilight. And now, I'm going type like fire so I can go cry about my crushed dreams.

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Flashback(STILL!!!)

_The woman in charge of the orphanage was unemotional when she told me that someone was coming to potentially adopt Emmy and take him away from me forever. She hadn't changed any by the time she asked me to come to the room in the back of the orphanage that acted as her makeshift office. I knew what this room meant. It was where Emmett went right before I heard him arguing with Miss Alanna. _

_This was where they took you when moms and dads came to see if they wanted to take you home. Where you sat across from them, staring uncomfortably, as they stare back and wonder what they're supposed to be saying. I'd been there once before, but it was before Emmett left. I behaved horribly so that they wouldn't try to take me away. I think Miss Alanna told Emmy not to do that, because I got in lots of trouble and when Em went in I didn't hear any yelling. _

_Either way, I didn't have to do that now. Emmett was gone, and I assumed he wasn't talking to me anymore because I hadn't seen or heard from him in months. I didn't know why, but I always came to the same conclusion. He loved his new family, and he was slowly forgetting about me. I didn't believe that he would ever completely forget me, but maybe I wasn't the most important thing in the world anymore. He had a brother, who most likely had replaced me. After all, Emmett saw him every single day, and he never had to worry about him. _

_So I went with Miss Alanna to the back room without a complaint. I didn't have a choice, and there wasn't any reason for me to stay here anymore. When I walked into the room, I saw a pretty young blonde lady, dressed in clothes that looked very expensive. She seemed to be in her late twenties, and was accompanied by a man who looked slightly older. In my eyes, they didn't match at all, for a reason I couldn't put my finger on. It didn't matter to me, because once we started talking that didn't seem important. _

_They weren't rude, and they didn't seem to be evaluating me like a piece of meat, something to be bought. They looked at me as if I was a normal kid, although I sometimes saw them exchanging small, quick looks and smiles that made me uneasy. I didn't mind so much about that either, because for all I knew that could be normal. I didn't have much experience talking to grownups, excluding the ones at the orphanage (who didn't talk much anyway). _

_It was no matter, because their kindness overrode the uneasiness. And when Miss Alanna led me out of the room, I was confident that I would be seeing them again. I was now nine years old, I was smart enough to know what the possible parents wanted to hear, and that was what I had told them. As long as Emmy wasn't here, and wasn't coming back, there was no need for me to stay here. If I had to pick parents, this couple seemed like a good choice to go home with. _

_I had no idea at the time that what they were and what they looked like were as opposite as night and day._

_**(See, I could have ended it there. But that's way too short, even for me. So keep reading!!!)**_

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_Apparently, they told Miss Alanna that they would go home and talk about it. A week later, I was called into the office. _

_"You called me, Miss Alanna?" I was nervous. I didn't know if I was in trouble. I had given up hope that the couple would be bringing me home, because it had been so long since they were here. _

_"Go upstairs and pack your bags," Miss Alanna stated, without once looking up from her paper. _

_I stared, uncomprehending. Was she kicking me out? I mean, I put gum in Maggie's hair... but only because she was being mean! They weren't going to kick me out for _**that **_were they?!_

_"W-What?"I stuttered._

_" I said, Go. Pack. Your . Bags. Unless, of course, you were planning on moving to your new home empty handed. It's not something I would advice, but I suppose it's your choice."_

_I sat, stunned. My new home? I was being taken away to be with a family?! I couldn't believe it. My luck had finally changed. My practicing had paid off (although eavesdropping on interviews had gotten me into trouble, it had taught me all the right and wrong things to say). It dawned on me then. This was my chance. My chance to be a normal kid, one with a mom and a dad who were nice, responsible, respectable people. Parents who helped you do your homework, and made you breakfast, and kissed your knee when you fell. The kind of things I'd heard of, but never experienced. The kind that most people take for granted. A real family. A real home. And I was as ready as I'd ever be. _

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_I ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and started throwing my belongings into my bag. As things began sinking in, my hands slowed down and I looked around. This was it. The day I'd been waiting for for two years. Granted, I had originally been waiting with Emmett, but still....it had been a long time coming. This was the last time I'd be in this room, on this bed. In this building, seeing these people. There wouldn't be anyone or anything I really missed other than the memories of Emmy that I'd be leaving here. I was happy to be leaving, but this had been my home. It wasn't ever the ideal home, but in comparison with the only other one I'd ever had it was perfect. _

_Hopefully, the next home I was going to would be THE perfect home. The way everyone else lived and the way you were supposed to live. I took one last look, for sentimental value in the future. I put my last book in my bag and closed it. It was the only bag I needed, because all I owned was a small amount of clothing and a large amount of books. I thought my new parents (internal squeal!!) would probably buy me new clothes anyway, so I wasn't too worried about that._

_I walked down the stairs to Miss Alanna's office. _

_"I have all my stuff ready.....what happens now?"_

_"Your new parents will be here any minute now. You're to be on your best behavior. I don't want them changing their minds now."_

_This was not something I had thought about before. I didn't even think that was allowed. Didn't they have to at least bring me home before they could change their minds?_

_"C-Change their minds?" I asked quietly._

_"Yes, change their minds. They're not _**required**_ to keep you if they don't want you. We don't force children into people's homes."_

_"Oh...well...ok then," I said. There really wasn't anything else for me to say. Talking to her wouldn't make my parents keep me if they wanted to get rid of me, and it was probably just going to make her more irritated. When she was the one approving all the important things in my life, I wasn't going to do anything to make her upset or annoyed with me. I was going to have to do everything I could to prevent it, but I was going to have to do it on my own. _

_As I finished my thought, the doorbell rang, and my heart skipped a beat._

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_**A/N:Wow. This is a lot shorter on word than it was on paper, so it's definitely gonna be really short when I post it.....oh well. I'm sorry my chapters are so short. And sorry I don't update. **_

_**If you forgive me, then the perfect way to show it would be a review!**_


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'll give you three guesses....dang!!! You guys are good. You got it on the first guess! It's more flashback. I really hope I'm not bugging anyone by this...not that I'd be able to change it if I was. So...sorry if I"m bugging you with all the flashback. And from now on I"m not gonna say it. If it's italicized it's flashback, unless I tell you different.

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_Miss Alanna gave me a look. _

_"You are to stay here. I'll get the door. You said you have everything you need?"_

_"Yes," I replied nervously. "And I've already said good-bye to everyone I needed to." That hadn't taken very long. _

_"Good. Just stay here, and I'll bring them back after I have a word with them," she instructed me._

_Once she left the room, I snuck out behind her. I waned to know what she say to them, especially if it was about me. If she said something bad about me, I needed to know what it was so that I could prove her wrong. I hid around the corner, and it was an absolutely perfect hiding space. I could clearly hear and see Miss Alanna and the doorway, but I was hidden from their view. _

_"Hello. It's nice to see you again Mr and Mrs. Vandertramp. How have you been lately? Have things been going well?" Miss Alanna asked. It made me want to gag how she was practically falling all over herself to "make them feel comfortable" because they looked like they had money. _

_She had put on her 'you-might-be-giving-me-money,-so-I'll-be-very-nice-to-you' face. I had once heard her assistant telling one of the older children that she did this with all families she thought were "loaded". These people definitely looked like they fit that description. Their nice looking clothes seemed to be a sure sign that they were very wealthy. _

_I thought it was just extremely unfair. Some of the nice people who came ere didn't have a lot of money, and Miss Alanna didn't bother to be nice to them at all. These were the type of parents you would want, and sometimes Miss Alanna was so rude to them that they left without even meeting any of us. _

_In any case, I wouldn't be coming back here to worry about things like that anymore. I knew that I wouldn't misbehave with these new parents. I wouldn't do anything at all to make them want to send me back. I knew their home would be wonderful, and I couldn't wait to see it._

_I refocused on the conversation going on in front of me. _

_"We're doing very well, thank you. Is Isabella ready? We'd like to get her settled in as soon as possible," the woman replied. _

_"Of course. And just to review, she's all yours unless for some reason we find the house unsuitable-not that I think we would. Find your house unsuitable that is. I mean, I'm sure it's a lovely house and-"_

_The woman cut her off with a smile that I thought looked kinda fake. _

_"No worries, we're not offended. Please continue."_

_"Right," Miss Alanna said, a little flustered now. "As I was saying, the other option is that you two change your mind about her. In that case, tell us and give us a few days to prepare for her return. Unless it's an emergency of course. In that case you can just drop her off. We'll find a wat to accomodate her I suppose."_

_It made me want to laugh. She was practically begging them to like her and give her money. I wish she was that nice to everyone. It might even end up making her MORE money! But I knew __that__ wasn't about to happen anytime soon._

_"I don't think we'll have to worry about that, but thank you," Mrs. Vandertramp said. _

_It made me ecstatic to know tat she wasn't thinking about changing her mind. It also gave me hope that I would have a happy life from now on, and a long stay at the Vandertramp household. _

_The three adults began walking back towards the office where I was supposed to be waiting, and I ran quietly back before they rounded the corner. When they walked in, I stood up. At a look from Miss Alanna, I greeted the couple politely._

_"Hello. It's wonderful to see you again!"_

_" It's nice to see you again too sweetie. Are you ready to come home?"_

_I had an odd feeling when she called me sweetie. It seemed like she was forcing the sentiment._

_But I needed to stop thinking like this. These people could eventually adopt me, and I couldn't be picking apart their every move like I was. I wasn't going to be trying to pick out their faults, because I knew no one was perfect. Maybe she just wasn't used to children. That must be it! So I guess I won't be having any siblings, unless they adopt more in the future. _

_I wasn't sure how I would feel about that. I missed my Emmy, more than ever, but I loved having a big brother. I decided that if they were to adopt more children, I would ask them to adopt younger children. I would still be able to have a sibling, but I wouldn't be reminded of Emmy all the time._

_I realized I was supposed to be answering a question._

_"Of course I am! I'm very excited to see your home," I said. _

_It wasn't a lie. Even with all the bad thoughts floating around in my head, and all the bad feelings I had been getting, I couldn't wait to go to a new home, and a new school, and meet new people. _

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_I took my bags out as they led me to the car. For the people they seemed to be, the car didn't look to me as if it fit them, and apparently it didn't seem to match to Miss Alanna either. It wasn't falling apart, and it wasn't a car that looked like it belonged to a homeless person. Still...it certainly didn't look like a rich person's car either. It didn't match their clothes either. I put it away in my head as just another thing that made me feel uneasy. _

_On the other hand, I didn't know them at all. Maybe the car fit their personalities. Maybe they weren't rich and snobby, and wanted to own something that was...normal. Some people have things you can't tell just from looking at them, and maybe this was their thing._

_Once, there had been a girl at the orphanage named Kayla. She was around eleven years old, and she was very quiet and very shy. One day, we were all playing at the park on the swingset, and a little boy took Kayla's swing. She completely exploded, pushed the boy off the swing, and started screaming at him. _

_The rest of us stood by, watching with jaws dropped and eyes wide. She had never fought with_ anyone_, and she had never _ever _raised her voice in front of any of us. Apparently even she had a button that you couldn't push. It opened my eyes to the fact that not everyone was as they seemed, and that sometimes the smallest thing could set someone off. _

_What I didn't know then was that these lessons would prove to be a very important help in the time to come with the Vandertramps. (_**A/N: Was that some serious foreshadowing or what?)**

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_The car was quiet and tense on the way home. I had never been in this situation before, and I wasn't really sure what I was supposed to be saying. Apparently, the adults in the car shared the sentiment. _

_They had made a few awkward attempts at small talk, but after a short answer we all fell back into silence. Finally ,after about an hour and a half of driving we reached the house. _

_If I hadn't been thinking about being polite, my jaw would have dropped. As it was, I stared with huge eyes at the last thing I would have expected. _

_Just as I looked back to the adults, Mr. Vandertramp turned around in his seat to look at me._

_"Welcome home," he said._

_The only thought I bhad was a very simple one:_

_Well....it definitely fits the car._

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**A/N: Okay so...obviously not worth the long wait, because I'm really not that great of a writer and I don't know how many months it's been since I updated. But I'm here! And here's another horribly short chapter that will look even shorter when I post it...**

**I'm really really sorry about what I keep doing to you guys, and thanks to those who keep reviewing and reading! If only I had a little more....I'm at the very end of a page!!!**


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Long one's at the end again...

**IMPORTANT: This one isn't in italics, but yes it's still a flashback.**

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If I had bothered to watch as the neighborhood had passed us by, I would have had an idea of where I'd be living. I had been so occupied by my thoughts that I hadn't looked out the window for a while, and I now realized where we were.

The house in front of me was... unappealing to say the least. The front lawn was completely overgrown with weeds and the white siding on the house was covered in dirt and grime. The mailbox tilted forward at a dangerous angle, and I doubted a mailman could get anything to stay in it.

The front door, although peeling and scratched, seemed to be firmly attached to its hinges, and on this positive note I re-examined the house with an optimistic attitude. There may not be any flowers, but there were overgrown hedges and that was better than nothing.

I stared, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was my house. Even with Charlie, our house had looked clean and proper from the outside. I was beginning to get anxious about seeing the inside, if this was what the outside looked like.

Mr. and Mrs. Vandertramp were already out of the car and grabbing my one bag when I shook myself out of my stupor and scrambled out of my seat.

At that moment, I had just one thought. One mystery that I had solved, I suppose.

That explains the car.

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As I walked into my new house for the first time, I was pleasantly surprised. In any other house, it would still look unpresentable, but with the outside the way it was the inside could look much worse.

We walked into a small area that held nothing but a coat closet next to the door and a tiny entryway. A few feet in front of the door was a small staircase leading to the second floor. On the left side of the stairway was a hallway that I could see ended in the kitchen with one or two rooms coming off it. On the right side of the stairs was only one door that was a bathroom.

The adults put my suitcase at the bottom of the stairs and turned to me with another of their false looking smiles.

"Well come on," Mrs. Vandertramp said. "Let us show you your new home."

As they led me through the downstairs, I tried to remember everything they were telling me about rules. It really was just the basic stuff: be careful around the picture frames and decorations (of which there were few), if you do something wrong don't lie about it, listen to what we tell you......all common sense things that I had had to do at the orphanage too.

I kept nodding my head as I surveyed the rooms they showed me.

The first room off the hallway was a family room. There were two small couches, an old leather recliner and a coffee table in the middle. They were angled towards a large TV that was mounted in a wall unit.

The shelves next to the television were filled with pictures, DVDs and CDs. On the back wall of the room was a small, cheap looking stereo that was a CD player and only two small speakers.

The next room looked like it was supposed to be a dining room. There was a long wooden table with claw feet that I think would be very nice if it was cleaned up. It was covered in a layer of dust though as were the eight chairs surrounding it. The chairs were odd, because they were all mismatched and obviously didn't belong at the same table.

There wasn't much else in the room other than a small cabinet that I guessed held whatever this family considered "nice" dishes.

We moved on to the kitchen, my favorite room in any house.

I always remembered all the fun times Emmy and I had when I would make us dinner and Daddy was away fishing. We always were so happy, and even though sometimes I messed up Emmy always told me it tasted "absolutely AWESOME".

That was one of my favorite things about my Emmy. He always knew exactly what to say to make you feel better, even if you didn't tell him what was wrong.

When I started to get sad, I tried to stop thinking about him. In fact, I hoped all the time that he wasn't thinking of me.

This was a conclusion I came to a few months after Emmy left. I realized that whenever I thought of him, my memories got me happy and then sad when I realized I probably wouldn't ever see him again and I missed him.

I decided that after everything my Em had done for me, he deserved to live a happy life with his new family. If that meant that I had to be pushed to the back of his mind and not remembered, I was alright with that. I knew he would never completely forget me, because he'd never stop loving me. That's just the way Emmy was. And as long as those memories were still with him, somewhere, he never had to think of me at all.

I'd stay happy, he'd stay happy, and his new family would get to see how "absolutely AWESOME" my brother could be.

Apparently, I'd been reminiscing longer than I thought because I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see the husband and wife looking at me as if they had been calling me for a while and I hadn't been paying attention.

"Are you okay Bella? You spaced out for a minute there, " Mrs. Vandertramp said.

"Fine, fine. Sorry. I was just thinking," I replied. I felt no need to tell them _what_ I'd been thinking about. The way I saw it, topics that happened before or in the orphanage were off limits to people who hadn't been there. They wouldn't understand.

"Okay. If you're sure you're alright..." she said. When I nodded, she continued pointing things out.

The kitchen was simple and an off-white color. The cabinets were wooden and seemed to be a little rickety, but none were falling off their hinges. A refrigerator hummed against the far wall near a dated looking stove and various cabinets, and a sink in the middle.

I was told that the small table there was where pretty much all meals were eaten, and that neither of the adults particularly liked cooking. They seemed thoughtful when I told them that cooking was one of my favorite things to do.

Once Mrs. Vandertramp finished telling me the rules of kitchen safety (which was completely unnecessary), we traveled back towards the front door.

"Alright Bella. You can go on up and get settled on your own. I hope you like your room, we spent all day on it yesterday. When you get to the top of the stairs, make a right. Your door is the only one on that side. Our bedroom is on the left, but that room is off limits to you. Go on up, I'll come upstairs and get you when we have dinner," Mrs. Vandertramp told me.

I traveled slowly up the stairs with my bag. The hallway at the top of the stairs had cheap fading, fake hardwood flooring. I turned to the right, and with a deep breath opened the door to my new room.

It wasn't actually that bad. It was a lavender color, which wasn't my favorite, but then again if they had known they were fostering a girl they would have picked pink or purple. The comforter on the bed was a tan color with a bright purple outline on the edges and a less shiny purple on the dust ruffle. The floor was a darker tan carpet obviously left from whatever this room had been before. There was a dark wood dresser on the left side of the room, opposite the bed on the right. A small matching nightstand was next to my bed with a white lamp on top and a clock that told me it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.

I slowly unpacked my things and put them in the dresser, and then I walked to the two windows across from the door in the back of the room. I lifted up the white shades and peeked out to see a backyard that no one had been in for a long time, from the looks of it. The grass was a dry brown color, and in spots the ground was only dirt. There was a crippled looking tree in a back corner, and a chain link fence I hadn't noticed before surrounding the whole thing.

All in all, the house seemed to be in a livable condition, even if it wasn't the best.

"Bella!!! Dinner's ready, come on down now," I heard Mrs. Vandertramp call up the stairs.

With a shock I looked at the clock to see that it was already after six. I took the stairs carefully, one at a time, because lord knows all I needed on my first day with a new family was a trip to the emergency room. With my luck, that's exactly what would happen. They'd decide they couldn't be burdened with me anymore, and I'd land right back in the orphanage before even a week had passed.

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Shortly after dinner I retired to my room and got into bed.

Thoughts of today flew through my head, and I found myself once again thinking about my brother. I wondered what he had done on his first day at his new house. What color his room was, or his comforter, and what he had in his backyard. Maybe swing sets, or even a pool.

Whether they had gotten him a bike or a PlayStation as a welcome present. If they had told him all the rules of the house, or if they trusted him to know what to do and what would get him in trouble. Whether after his dinner, he had lay in his new bed and thought about his little sister, still back at the orphanage and crying by herself. Whether he had been happy at his new house, or whether it had not mattered because he was so sad without me.

I spent hours thinking, and eventually had come up with two different scenarios.

In the first, Emmy had been devastated. He had left the orphanage and hardly said a word on the way home, and maybe his parents had wondered what was wrong. HE got to his house, and as the new adults showed him around he tried to pay attention, but his mind kept straying to his Bellsy, and wondering if he would ever see her again, and coming to the conclusion that he would eventually, no matter what it took.

His room was dark blue, because that was his favorite color and surely the nice people that came to take him from me knew that. They had a nice, home cooked dinner instead of my KFC, and he had gone up to bed slightly happier than when he got there. He had gotten into bed and stared up at the ceiling, and I was all he could think about. And he prayed to someone he wasn't sure existed, but because he had to try, and asked that his sister be okay and stay safe. The maybe a nice kind family would come to take her soon, and she'd find a wonderful family.

This was the scenario I liked the most, but not the one I thought happened.

In my second scenario, it began the same. Emmy was devastated and hardly spoke on the way home. After he arrived though, everything changed. It was a beautiful house, and a beautiful family. They shpwed =him the house, and the more he saw the happier he got. Living there didn't seem too bad anymore. His room was still dark blue, because it was a nice family. And he still ate that same hoime cooked meal, and maybe he thought for a second of the sister who used to cook for him.

When he got in bed that night he thought I hope Bella's okay. Maybe a fmaily will come for her someday soon.

Then his thoughts turned to all the fun things he would do with his new family, until I slowly faded to a dark corner of his mind that he rarely looked into. Although it pained me to think of it, I knew that this was the more likely thing to happen, and over time I had accepted.

As I drifted off to sleep, my last thought was still with Emmy.

I love you Em. No matter how many miles are between us, and whether you think of me or not, I love you, and I hope you always know.

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WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. It took me forever again, but this one's over 2,000 words! I'm proud of myself.

I'm sorry that I'm not that great at description. I think it kinda seems like I'm rambling. Sorry. And as for the house...it's a little dirty and definitely not in the best shape, but it's not disgusting filthy rats and cockroaches.

I don't know if I've said this already, but in case I didn't these people aren't Bella's "parents" legally. They are fostering her for now, but they haven't actually adopted her. Just for the record.

Questions for my lovely faithful readers even though I don't deserve them.

I'm trying, but do you think that Bella sounds too old for a smart kid her age? Please tell me and if you do I'll try harder.

I don't want to sound like I'm heartbroken over this cause I'm not. I couldn't care less. Just wondering: I got a review from someone who said my story (and I'm not quoting but I'm paraphrasing) sounded creepy and like everyone in the world was gonna like rape and hurt Bella. Now, personally I don't think it's quite that bad. I was going for a more uneasy and not quite trustworthy feel. Please honestly tell me what you think. If people agree, I will try to change that. I really don't want it to come of like that so honest answers please.

And on a happier note: Anyone have any ideas about first names for these Vandertramp people? I think it sounds kinda weird when I keep saying Mr. and Mrs.

Thanks for sticking around:) Please review and tell me what you think.


	6. AN

Heyyyyy...

So I know you're all gonna be pissed that this is just an Author's Note...but I really didn't want to be one of those authors who disappears off the face of the Earth.

I'm not "giving up" The Paths We Take. But I really can't commit to updating right now- I don't fel like I care enough about the story to sit down and write, and I didn't realize it had been so long since I updated.

Someday, and hopefully not in a ridiculously long time, I will find the time and the compulsion to continue writing this. The story will not be deleted because I have the full intention of continuing it. But I thought you all deserved a note, because I hate authors who leave me hanging.

So sorry about all this. I really appreciate all the reviews and story and author alerts, and thank you for sticking with me this long.

Love Twilighter123


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